It's a Mystery
by Uncle Charlie
Summary: A locked room, a dead body, and Sapphire and Steel - Hercule Poirot couldn't do it better. Written for Element Flash - March prompt - a locked room mystery


Steel swayed slightly in place as he materialized. He caught himself on the back of an over-stuffed chair and drew in a deep breath. This was peculiar.

_Are you all right, Steel?_

He nodded at Sapphire's mental question. "Yes, just a bit dizzy."

"How odd. As I am." She was leaning against an elegant table, her hand smearing its mirror finish. "I've never experienced anything like this before."

Steel shook his head and straightened, taking a look around the room they were in. It had book-lined walls and was paneled in dark wood on three sides. The fourth wall had a set of French doors, curtained with diaphanous fabric. It gave the impression of being sheer, but, in fact, did an excellent job of masking the view.

The carpet was thick and springing beneath their feet. The furniture was deep mahogany and sparkled from copious amounts of polish… all except the spot where Sapphire had leaned and, of course, beneath the slumped body.

It was tipped forward on the desk, resting upon a blotter, which was doing its best to suck up the blood as it oozed and pooled. One hand clutched a letter opener and the other a broken watch.

"Steel."

"I see it. Stay here."

Sapphire smiled at his gallantry and turned from the desk. Walking quickly, she checked the door. It was locked from the inside, the heavy deadbolt turned. She abandoned it for the windows. Those also were locked.

"How odd."

"The dead body?" Steel asked as he lifted the man, pushing him back into the black leather chair. The head lolled and Sapphire turned away rapidly.

"The fact that the doors and the windows are securely locked. This has all the makings of a locked room mystery."

"A what?" There was still so much about humans that Steel didn't quite grasp.

"It's a sub-genre of mystery writing. A dead body, no sign of the killer and no way for anyone to get in from the outside. It is the task of the detective, i.e. the reader, to decipher the clues and deduce the murderer." She closed her eyes and took several deep measured breaths. "Steel, there is something else here."

"Alive? Human? One of us?"

Sapphire took her time answering. "I don't know. Here, but not here. Something that is a moment out of time."

"Our time?"

"All time." She opened her eyes again and indicated the body with a sharp jut of her chin. "Is he dead?"

"I'm not very sure he was ever alive."

"What do you mean?"

Steel brushed his hands together and went to check the windows. The garden beyond was hazy, even when the curtains were push aside, as if they were cloaked in a thick mist. "Well, it's your area of expertise, but I don't think this was ever organic material."

"Then what?" Sapphire slowly approached the man and rested a hand upon his arm. "You're right. It's not… anything."

"Take time back, Sapphire. I want to see what happened here. I want to know why we are here."

She let her hand drift back to her side and began to concentrate. Her eyes glowed and nothing happened. She tried again.

"Sapphire?" Steel's voice was tinged with impatience. He was not one to have his wishes denied.

"I can't."

"Can't or won't?" He was used to her more willful approaches to their assignments.

"Can't. Time doesn't exist here, at least not in the way we are used to it."

"Time exists everywhere."

"Apparently not." She turned to him and took an involuntary step. "Steel, what did you do with the body?"

"Nothing. I…" Instinctively, he turned back to the man and frowned. "What?"

"Steel, what were you told of this assignment?"

"There are a group of scientists who are trying to recreate string theory and might bring about the downfall of mankind."

"Then why are we here?"

"They were successful?" Steel moved to a bookcase and removed a book. He glanced through it for a few seconds. "At least we have reading material this time."

"What do you mean?" Sapphire walked quickly to the door, but no matter what she did, the deadbolt remained in place. "Steel?"

He was right there and he was equally unsuccessful. "Trapped… again." He walked to a comfortable looking couch and sat down. "At least the view is more pleasant."

Sapphire settled beside him, leaning against his shoulder. A small smile escaped Steel's lips. "This makes no sense. We are currently at peace with the Transuranics."

"Is that even possible?" He kissed her cheek and she sighed.

"I suppose not." A wave of dizziness shuddered through her and she closed her eyes against it. When she opened them, she was in their quarters. Steel was still sitting beside her, looking both dazed and confused. "What just happened?"

"I have no idea, but I'm going to find out." Steel stood and staggered a step. He abruptly sat back down. "In just a few minutes."

"˙ɹıs 'sǝʎ"

"˙ɹoɯnɥ ɟo ǝsuǝs ou ǝʌɐɥ noʎ ʎɐs ʎǝɥʇ puɐ"

"˙ʎɹǝʇsʎɯ ɐ sı ʇı 'ʎɐs oʇ ǝɹnʇuǝʌ plnoʍ ı" ˙pǝppɐ uǝɥʇ 'ʇuǝɯoɯ ɐ ɹoɟ pǝsnɐd ɐʇɐp "˙ɹıs 'ou"

"¿ʞɔǝpoloɥ ɹno uo pǝɹɐǝddɐ ʎluǝppns sƃuıǝq oʍʇ ǝsoɥʇ ʎɥʍ oʇ sɐ sǝıɹoǝɥʇ ʎuɐ ǝʌɐɥ noʎ op 'ɐʇɐp ˙ɹɯ" ˙pǝlɐɥxǝ puɐ ɹıɐɥɔ puɐɯɯoɔ ǝɥʇ uı ʞɔɐq ʇɐs pɹɐɔıd "˙uǝıɹq'o ˙ɹɯ 'noʎ ʞuɐɥʇ"

˙ɯoɔɹǝʇuı ǝɥʇ ʎq pǝʇɹoʇsıp ʎlʇɥƃıls sɐʍ ǝɔıoʌ s'uǝıɹq'o "˙ǝɯoɥ ʞɔɐq ǝɹɐ ʎǝɥʇ ˙ɹıs 'ǝʇǝldɯoɔ sı ʇɹodsuɐɹʇ"

To decipher the clue, cut and paste the last bit to: .


End file.
